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“The people's hour has come. We reject the state and the Catalan oligarchs,” said Catalan parliament member Carlos Riera after he and his colleagues in Barcelona declared the autonomous region independent.

“We want an open republic, we want to tenderly embrace those who want better world for everyone, regardless of their background. We took this step with our heads held high, not on our knees. “Like free people without fear,” he said. - Today is a happy day. Glory to Catalonia!

After Parliament decided to sharply worsen relations with Madrid and declared Catalonia a separate state, there was rejoicing on the streets of Barcelona. Thousands of people, many with tears in their eyes, praised the decision of regional authorities and sang the local anthem.

Catalan parliamentarians did the same after the vote. However, many deputies were not here: the factions that opposed independence did not come to the vote as a sign of protest.

“I ask all Spaniards to calm down. Our rule of law will restore legal order in Catalonia,” the Spanish Prime Minister immediately responded on Twitter after the news from Barcelona.

About half an hour later, the central authorities in Madrid made a retaliatory step. The Senate approved the use of constitutional article 155, which talks about the threat state unity, thereby giving Rajoy emergency powers.

The Spanish Prime Minister can now not only deprive Catalonia of its autonomous status and introduce federal administration over these territories, but also authorize a military operation. It guarantees that Catalonia will remain part of Spain.

For now, Rajoy limited himself to a statement that the country's government had decided to dissolve the Catalan parliament.

“We believe that it is urgent to listen to the citizens of Catalonia, to all of them, so that they can decide their future and no one can act contrary to the law on their behalf,” Rajoy stressed.

According to Irina Busygina, director of the Institute of International Studies, the Catalan decision narrows the field of political maneuver for Madrid. “From my point of view, the reasoning of Catalan politicians that Madrid is going against democracy and does not listen to the voice of the minority is pure populism. All this suggests that the term “democracy” can be used in different ways and everyone interprets it as they can,” says Gazeta.Ru’s interlocutor.

According to the expert, the democracy of Spain, like every other European country, is based on the constitution. “And the unilateral decision of the Catalan authorities to declare independence is clearly an anti-constitutional step. Accordingly, Madrid has the right to use force,” Busygina added. “Democracy does not prohibit the use of harsh measures, especially when basic democratic rules are violated.”

According to the expert, the possibility for a compromise between Madrid and Catalonia remains - “but not with the current Catalan elite.”

The day before, the head of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, refused to hold early elections in the region. “There are no guarantees that would justify holding elections,” he said. Early elections to the Catalan parliament were considered an alternative to declaring Catalan independence from the central authorities of Spain.

Now Puigdemont and his colleagues are under threat of not only dismissal, but also arrest for unconstitutional actions.

“I am not Carles Puigdemont, and I cannot speak for him, but he voted for independence, and, apparently, is quite aware of possible consequences their actions, including legal ones,” Luc Salellas, a member of the national secretariat of the left-wing Catalan party CUP, told Gazeta.Ru.

“I think Puigdemont - like other members of the Catalan parliament - are ready to face any scenario that may follow the declaration of independence.”

Salellas recalled that the head had already tweeted about the unacceptability of a forceful solution. “For nothing has changed. Spain remains our only negotiating partner,” the text of the message reads. “I hope that the Spanish authorities will choose the force of argument and refrain from the argument of force.”

“Madrid is unlikely to resort to the deployment of troops and, rather, will engage in dialogue, including with the participation of international mediators,” says Salellas.

“Currently, the police, controlled by Madrid, are on the streets of Barcelona, ​​but they do not play an active role in what is happening. All they do is just stand in the streets,” added the Catalan politician.

It turns out that the culprits are:

1) deputies of Catalonia who were involved in populism,

2) the Prime Minister of Spain and diplomats of both sides who did not go to mutual concessions- Spain should have given in when there were negotiations,

3) Puigdemont and the parliament and media of Catalonia did not have enough good economists who would say and calculate that, sorry, opening embassies in 235 countries in the world is incredibly expensive for Catalonia- they only count their taxes, and how much does it cost them now to open their own police, establish borders and their border protection (i.e. form their own army and border service), open embassies and all other countries in the world 235 countries need to open 1 more the embassy in Catalonia is not profitable for everyone, and there are many other expenses!

All these spin-offs - LPR, DPR, Donbass, Catalonia, etc. - are unprofitable for either these territories or all other countries in the world for economic reasons, but what can you do?

or better economists need to be hired,

or diplomats, who negotiate better in conflicts,

or educate the politicians who organize all this,

or let them separate, live on their own taxes (this will be unprofitable for them, they themselves realize), and sooner or later they may ask and join some state themselves (high probability, except in cases where the rights of an ethnic minority have been directly violated for decades ).

Populism has never brought any good, competent experts must fight it, the media must tell the truth.

Russia doesn’t need to gloat and point out this - like “Hahaha, that’s what you need Europe”, because Russia itself has a much more deplorable situation with the distribution of taxes between different regions and areas - there’s no need to gloat, thereby promoting the possibility of exiting Russia has separate regions for the same reason - an example of big differences - Moscow, Crimea and Dagestan, Ingushetia, Irkutsk region - if you calculate the budget per person.

Ukraine does not need to repeat the mistake of the Spanish authorities - let them go to all 4 sides of the LPR, DPR, Donbass - implement the Minsk agreements and give them autonomy or independence. These are exorbitant expenses to live on a small territory on their taxes as an independent state, well, they will live on their taxes, it will be expensive for them, then they will still want to join another state - for God’s sake, there is no need to die because of these pieces of land and their stupidity. We must protect the lives of citizens. Confrontation with nuclear powers will not bring anything good, so Angela Merkel said correctly - there is no military solution to this conflict, I don’t know why the United States is being stupid.

Russia also suffered - it’s true that spinning off these territories is unprofitable from an economic point of view (from a political point of view, they wanted to punish Ukraine - well, listen, you can punish in different ways), sanctions due to the war with Ukraine led to a crisis, a military conflict in Ukraine is unpopular among the Russian people, no matter how some polls and some media lie, besides, elections in the Russian Federation are coming soon - this has reduced ratings and popularity,

and all these supposedly independent spin-offs of territories from Ukraine are also not beneficial for Russia, because the Russian Federation’s own regions are also watching and, as it were, “learning” from the state media that it’s possible to spin off from the federal government like this using the example of the LPR, DPR and Donbass. Those. Russia thereby undermines its own integrity. Leave them alone, let them come to an agreement, implement the Minsk agreements, and make peace. The media and diplomats must reconcile the two states. Ukraine will not be accepted into NATO, no matter what the Ukrainians say, there is no need for Russian officials to be irritated about this.

Ukrainian politicians are also engaged in dangerous populism - all this talk about NATO, the ban on the Russian language, the lack of human rights protection for Russian citizens and other ethnic minorities, the desire to regain their territories with blood at any cost - this is unrealistic - first of all, in Ukraine it means bad diplomats, just like in In Russia, I think that for good diplomats the main goal is peace, to prevent war, and then everything else. Why is Ukraine acting like a stupid sheep if Russia has nuclear weapons? We, the whole world, because of Russia and Ukraine, must go to the air from nuclear weapons take off? Or how? Because of their stinking LPR, DPR and Donbass? Let them choke, let these DPR, LPR and Donbass go to all 4 directions, live on their own taxes - it will be very expensive and unprofitable for them. The main thing is to take care of yourself and the lives of citizens. For all Ukrainian politicians, the main thing should be to Ensure Peace. Russians also want Peace.

The media who support populism are not professional, I mean Ukrainian media I say first of all because Populism means unrealistic, impossible wishes.

My personal opinion, here I may not be entirely right - when an armed conflict is planned - this is first of all a minus of Diplomats, this means that Diplomats and Experts from both sides are not good and humane enough, and Law Enforcers of both sides also work poorly, because change the dictators impossible.

MADRID, October 10 - RIA Novosti, Elena Shesternina. The Catalan Parliament will meet on Tuesday for a meeting that could result in a unilateral declaration of independence from Spain. However, this is only one of the possible scenarios.

Law

Last week it became known that the Catalan parliament will meet to “discuss the results of the referendum on October 1.” At first, “hour X” was scheduled for October 9, then this meeting was canceled constitutional Court Spain. A few days later, a new date was announced - the head of the Generalitat (Catalan government) Carles Puigdemont will appear in parliament on October 10 at 18.00 (19.00 Moscow time). According to the official wording, to “inform about the current political situation.”

The final results of the referendum were announced last Friday. According to the Generalitat, more than two million people voted for independence, 90.18% of the total number of voters. The turnout was 43.03% (2 million 286 thousand 217 people took part in the voting), despite the fact that 5.3 million have the right to vote in the autonomous community. The final results were submitted to parliament.

Regarding the wording “inform about the results” in last days There are heated discussions going on in Spain. According to the referendum law adopted by the Catalan parliament on September 6 (pro-independence parties have an absolute majority), the results imply a declaration of independence.

The third article of the law states that “the results of the referendum have legal force.” And in the fourth article it is written: that if more votes are cast for independence than against in the referendum, the result will be the independence of Catalonia.

“To this end, the Catalan Parliament, two days after the announcement of official data by the electoral commission, will hold a regular session to formally declare the independence of Catalonia, clarify the consequences and begin the constituent process,” the document says.

Agenda

However, even one of the most active supporters of the idea of ​​Catalan independence, Parliament Speaker Carme Forcadell, did not answer the question whether independence would be declared at the meeting, adding that at the moment only the speech of the head of the Generalitat, Carles Puigdemont, appears on the agenda.

Puigdemont himself promised to apply the referendum law in the 30 Minutes program of the Catalan TV channel TV3 on Sunday evening. “The declaration of independence, which we do not call a “unilateral” declaration of independence, is provided for by the law on the referendum as the implementation of the results. We will apply what the law says,” said the head of the Generalitat. This phrase, which appeared in the announcement of the program and was quoted by the world's leading media, did not make it into the final version of the program that was aired.

Meanwhile public organization The “Catalan National Assembly” at exactly 18.00, that is, when Puigdemont’s speech begins, calls supporters of independence to a rally near the parliament building - “to support the announcement of the results of the referendum.” This wording appears in the official press release.

Split

It is worth noting that there was a split in the pro-independence camp. The left-wing party Candidat Popular Unity (CUP), which has only ten seats in the Catalan parliament, speaks of declaring independence as a settled issue. The party's spokesman, Benet Salellas, said on Monday that Puigdemont's government "cannot back down" on the situation and that if it does, it will be "involved road map, adopted by parliamentary groups supporting independence." He assured that the CUP and the second separatist parliamentary coalition "Together for Yes" are working on a declaration of independence.

However, in the “Together for Yes” coalition, judging by various statements by deputies, there is no clear understanding of what exactly will happen on Tuesday evening and in what form the head of the General Assembly will announce the results.

A deputy from this coalition, Martha Pascal, in an interview with the BBC, said that Puigdemont will limit himself to a “symbolic declaration” of independence, that is, he recognizes the legal force of the results, but will not formally declare independence. True, the party tried to refute her statement, placing all the blame on journalists who allegedly incorrectly interpreted the deputy’s words.

Another option was proposed by Member of the European Parliament from the Catalan European Democratic Party Ramon Tremosa - “Slovenian”. That is, to declare independence in unilaterally, then suspend it and negotiate with Madrid from these positions. “The Catalan government could, for example, declare independence, suspend its actual implementation for a while, waiting to sit down at the negotiating table without preconditions with the Spanish government to call an agreed referendum,” he said in an interview with radio station Onda Vasca .

Supporters of independence are currently split into two camps. As a RIA Novosti source in Madrid suggested, in the first one supporting the idea of ​​a unilateral declaration of independence are the “Candidature of Popular Unity”, half of the Left Republicans of Catalonia party, the public organization Omnium Cultural, as well as Puigdemont himself. In the second, more moderate, there is the Catalan European Democratic Party (PDCat), part of the Republican Left of Catalonia, the public organization Catalan National Assembly, as well as the deputy chairman of the Catalan government, Oriol Junqueras.

It is also unknown how exactly the parliament - if it decides to do so - will “proclaim independence.” According to the referendum law, voting is not necessary.

At the same time, in addition to the declaration of independence itself, other options are possible. For example, adopt a declaration of intent, that is, a “deferred version” of the declaration of independence, or adopt a certain “symbolic document.”

Madrid's reaction

Be that as it may, Madrid is not going to talk with the Catalan authorities under any “declaration option.”

“Under the threat of blackmail, nothing can be built. Therefore, it is absolutely unacceptable that they say that the declaration of independence will come into force the next day, or it will be a declaration of independence with a suspensive condition, final, postponed, in any form that is currently being discussed there.” , said Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in an interview with El País newspaper.

If the worst forecasts are confirmed and the Catalan parliament “declare independence” in any form, the government promises to “take any legal measures.” At the same time, the country’s leadership stubbornly refuses to answer the question of whether it is ready to apply Article 155 of the constitution, which allows for the deprivation of autonomy status and reassignment to the central government - “if the autonomous community does not fulfill the obligations stipulated by the constitution or other laws, or its actions cause serious damage to national interests of Spain."

Confrontation between Madrid and BarcelonaCatalan authorities are planning to hold a referendum on independence on October 1, which is not recognized by the Spanish government. What is remarkable about one of the most famous regions of Spain and what do Catalans and Spaniards think about the upcoming vote on independence - see the infographic on the website

The majority of members of the Catalan parliament voted for a resolution that declares independence from Spain, reports the Spanish newspaper El Pais.

72 deputies were in favor, 10 were against, and two abstained. The rest of the 135-member parliament boycotted the vote. Representatives of the People's, Socialist Workers' and Civil Parties left the plenary session.

“We establish the Catalan Republic as an independent and sovereign country under the rule of law,” the text of the resolution says. The text includes the declaration of independence, which was signed by Catalan President Carles Puigdemont on October 10.

“I call on all Spaniards to remain calm. Constitutional state will restore order in Catalonia,” Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy responded to this decision on Twitter.

This morning he argued in the upper house for the application of Article 155 of the constitution, arguing that this is an “exceptional situation” that is not aimed at Catalonia, but at preventing violations of the law.

In his speech, as reported by La Vanguardia, he called what was happening in Catalonia “the biggest mockery of democracy, except coup d'etat 1981".

The Spanish Senate, less than an hour after the declaration of independence by the Catalan Parliament, considered and approved a resolution on the application of Article 155, which will come into force the next day.

Catalan President Carles Puigdemont earlier asked parliament to consider how to respond to plans to establish control over the northeastern region.

Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution states that if “the Autonomous Community does not fulfill the obligations imposed by the Constitution or other laws, or its actions seriously harm the interests of Spain, the government first makes a demand to the President of the Autonomous Community and, if it is left unheeded, with approval absolute majority the Senate can take necessary measures, in order to compel the latter to fulfill these obligations or to protect the interests mentioned." It states that in order to implement these measures, the government can issue instructions to all authorities of the autonomous communities. Since 1978, when a constitution was adopted that consolidated democratic rule in the country after the fall of the Franco regime , and until now this article has not been applied.

On October 1, a referendum was held in Catalonia on the issue of secession from Spain. 2.26 of the 5.31 million Catalans eligible to vote took part in the popular vote.

On October 10, the head of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, called on the Catalan parliament to postpone the declaration of independence of the region, but on the same day a corresponding declaration of independence was signed, signed by the head of the autonomy himself.

After this, the Spanish authorities demanded that the Catalan government give a formal answer by 10:00 on October 16 whether the region would declare independence or not. Puigdemont instead said in a letter to Rajoy that the declaration of independence had been suspended and called for dialogue. Madrid refused to negotiate and issued a new ultimatum - until 10:00 on October 19.

When the deadline expired, the country's government demanded that Carles Puigdemont put an end to the question of whether Catalonia declared independence or not.

Monitoring department
Info Chechen

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